Pump Jacks Sixth Season, Championship Title Defense, to Kick Off May 30

[ETPJ]

Pump Jacks Sixth Season, Championship Title Defense, to Kick Off May 30
Fans can get a free championship T-shirt with the purchase of season tickets for the 2013 season, the Jacks’ first as defending TCL champs

 

Kilgore, TX (January 9, 2013) – May the title defense begin!

That’s the message from the East Texas Pump Jacks, who announced today the team’s 2013 season schedule. The Pump Jacks are the defending Texas Collegiate League champions after capturing the title in 2012, when the team celebrated its fifth anniversary season.

“As much fun as the 2012 season was, we’re looking forward to this summer being even better,” said Pump Jacks general manager Mike Lieberman. “Five years of excitement, national rankings, drafted players, culminating in a championship we were able to share with our fans at historic Driller Park… that’s all the foundation for a new and exciting season this summer.”

The Pump Jacks will return to Driller Park for the 2013 season, the site of the club’s dramatic, come-from-behind victory in the 2012 TCL Championship Series against the Victoria Generals. East Texas finished the season ranked #11 in Perfect Game’s national poll of more than 250 summer collegiate teams. The #11 rank at the end of the season, along with the #7 peak ranking during the summer, are believed to be TCL records.

The 60-game schedule will kick off on Thursday, May 30, the earliest in the calendar year the TCL has ever began play. The Pump Jacks open the season on the road with a pair of games against the formally rechristened Texas Marshalls, followed by a two-game set in The Woodlands against the Strykers.

The Pump Jacks return to Driller Park to begin their home schedule on Tuesday, June 4, against the Acadiana Cane Cutters. The two-game series against Acadiana will be followed by a championship rematch versus Victoria on June 6 and 7.

The season will once again be evenly split between 30 home games at Driller Park and 30 games on the road. The campaign is split into two halves, with the first half coming to a close on July 3. Team records will then reset to 0-0 on July 4 to open the second half of the season.

The Pump Jacks have acclimated themselves well to the TCL’s split-season schedule, which was first introduced in 2010. East Texas won four-straight division titles, beginning with the second-half crown in 2010, both halves in 2011, and then the first half of the Jacks’ championship season last summer.

The TCL All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, July 9, and the league expects to announce the host shortly. The regular season will conclude on August 9, followed by the playoffs. The complete schedule can be found by clicking here.

Even with the Pump Jacks’ championship and national rankings, season tickets will once again remain the same price for this summer. Lower box seats, the best seats in the house that will continue to feature in-your-seat wait service, are only $199 each. Upper box tickets remain at $150 per seat. Grandstand tickets, which give ticket holders to sit anywhere in the general admission area, are still only $105 for adults and $85 for children and seniors.

To celebrate the team’s first title, fans who pay for their season tickets in full by February 8 will receive a commemorative TCL championship T-shirt. Like last year’s anniversary shirt exclusively for season ticket holders, the championship T-shirt will boast a unique design that will not be available in the merchandise stand or to any other Pump Jacks fans. Only season ticket holders who get their tickets by February 8 can get it, so act now!

All season ticket holders still become members of the Pump Jacks Premier Club, providing perks not available to other fans. The most popular benefit is the “Never A Wasted Ticket” policy, which allows Premier Club members to exchange any unused season tickets for Grandstand tickets to another game, ensuring that ticket holders get the most out of their season tickets. The Jacks will be adding more benefits as the season approaches.

To make purchasing season tickets even easier, fans have the option of the EZ Pay plan. With EZ Pay, fans make an initial payment of just 25% of their order when they purchase their season tickets. The Pump Jacks will then charge 25% in each of the next three months, paying off the entire cost of the season tickets. Fans don’t have to deal with invoices and mailing in payments, either, since the Jacks will simply charge their card each month. To take advantage of the EZ Pay plan, fans can check the EZ Pay box on the season ticket order form, or request the EZ Pay plan when speaking with a Pump Jacks representative.

Purchasing season tickets is easy. Simply call the Pump Jacks at (903) 218-GO ET, or e-mail the Jacks at [email protected]. Season tickets can also be conveniently purchased online through the Pump Jacks store at www.pumpjacksbaseball.com. More information is available here, along with a downloadable season ticket order form.

The Pump Jacks are expected to announce the team’s new head coach next week. Ben Taylor, who served in that position for the last four seasons, was recently named the head coach of the Mat-Su Miners in the Alaska Baseball League, another summer collegiate circuit. During his tenure in East Texas, Taylor coached in three all-star games, won the 2011 TCL Coach of the Year award, and set the TCL record for regular season victories.

To follow all the news and developments as the Jacks prepare for the 2013 season, visit the Pump Jacks official web site at www.pumpjacksbaseball.com. Join the conversation with other members of Pump Jacks Nation by visiting the Pump Jacks on Facebook and Twitter.